


The Right Decision

by tattoosanta



Series: Alternate Universes [10]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Adults, Defiance, Dysfunctional Family, Forced Marriage, Getting Together, Leaving Home, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-03
Updated: 2016-04-16
Packaged: 2018-05-30 22:52:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6445501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tattoosanta/pseuds/tattoosanta
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was supposed to be the perfect wedding. Nothing was supposed to go wrong, and Seijuurou was supposed to be married to a young woman of another influential family by the end of the day.<br/>That all changed when the grand doors of the chapel opened halfway through the ceremony.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Crashing the Wedding

**Author's Note:**

> I got this idea because most of my dash likes to freak out over the Malec kiss from Shadowhunters, which is a show I do not watch haha ^^;  
> Anyway, I don't know how long this is going to be, but it'll probably have more than one chapter, because everything I want to put in it will make it at least 10k. Maybe the chapters will be long. 
> 
> So, since this is a future AU, imagine they're all around 24.  
> Also, Midorin's little sister's name is Hotaru. That's what I named her because she doesn't have a canon name lmao

Seijuurou sighed as he stared at himself in the large mirror and fixed his tie for what seemed like the twentieth time in ten minutes. To say he was nervous was an understatement. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt so completely trapped. Well, that was a lie; he remembered that day very clearly. He just liked to fool himself into thinking he couldn't remember it.

The door opened, and he glanced at the figure in the door out of the corner of his eyes. "...Oh. Hello, father." He turned slightly to face the older man, who had stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. "Did you need something?"

"I came to talk to you about the wedding." Masaomi stated, his tone flat and unfeeling. He waited for Seijuurou to say something, and when he didn't, continued. "You do know what this marriage entails, do you not?" 

"Yes, father, I understand." Seijuurou internally rolled his eyes. It meant something for the company. What, exactly, he didn't really pay attention to. He found he honestly didn't care about it. As much as he wanted to make himself care about the young lady he was supposed to be wed to, he found she was just... not the kind of person he could love. That didn't mean she wasn't a wonderful woman, because she was. He just couldn't find it in himself to love her the way his father wanted him to. 

"Good." Masaomi nodded and came forward to straighten his son's suit and fix the stray hairs that were sticking out. "Then I expect everything to go as we had planned." He couldn't think of any way for the wedding to go wrong, but he wasn't going to rule everything out. Something could still happen. 

Seijuurou couldn't help the sigh that escaped his lips, and he nodded. "I'm sure it will." Even if he didn't really want it all to go as planned. He didn't think he could stand being married to someone he didn't--couldn't--love. It would be hell on Earth. Not that he could ever say that to his father, that would just cause unnecessary problems. Problems he would rather not deal with. 

Masaomi nodded. "The ceremony starts in ten minutes." With that, he left the room, leaving Seijuurou alone to his thoughts. 

Seijuurou took a deep breath and resisted the urge to run his hands through his hair and mess it up. The gel was making it feel weird and generally stuffy, like the rest of his outfit. He'd never minded wearing suits in the past, but for some reason today it felt suffocating. It didn't matter how many times he loosened his tie and adjusted his collar, his throat felt tight. 

"...Time to go, I suppose." He frowned at his watch and fixed his sleeve to cover it as he left the room. His legs felt like lead as he walked down the hallway, and with each step he swore he could hear his heartbeat pounding in his ears. It wasn't the good kind of nervous pounding, either. It was more akin to the feeling he figured one would get when walking to what certainly be their untimely death. 

He almost felt guilty for thinking of this marriage as his death. _Almost._ It just didn't feel right to him, and he couldn't help but feel like this marriage would take away what he so desperately wanted and needed; his freedom. Freedom from his family ties, and from all the plans his father had for him. He wouldn't mind getting married and settling down eventually, so long as it was on his terms and he actually, you know, _knew_ the person he was getting married to. 

"I shouldn't dwell on the negatives... maybe if we spend more time together, it will get easier." He mumbled and scuffed his shoes against the velvety carpet, "She is a very kind young lady, after all." And really, she was. When they had first been introduced, she waited to ask any personal questions until they had spent some time alone. She even understood his inhibitions about getting married to someone he didn't know, and accepted it graciously when he said he found it hard to make himself love her. 

In general, the young woman was very caring and understanding. She just... wasn't the right person for Seijuurou. If he were more willing to branch out and try a bunch of new things they would have gotten along better, but he wasn't exactly the adventurous type. He would much rather spend his free time reading in the parlor than out exploring some new area of the woods. 

He checked his watch again and bit his lip. "Almost time..." Time to force a smile on his face and pretend this was the happiest moment of his life, only to likely lose it all halfway through the ceremony. He just had to remove himself from the situation and steel his nerves, and he could make it through. Probably. He just couldn't think too much about how this one day would shape the rest of his life. 

The chiming of the church bells startled him out of his thoughts, and he rushed to the end of the hallway to make it to the altar in time. Once again, he felt his heart pound in his ears, and the palms of his hands started to sweat. The bride-to-be's brother stopped him at the door and put his hands on his shoulders, a broad smile coming to his face as he turned his future brother in law toward him. 

"Nervous?" He asked, his voice laced with excitement for his little sister. Any other situation and he probably would have been threatening Seijuurou with is life to protect the one he'd spent so long protecting himself. When the redhead nodded, he just laughed and clapped the shorter man on the shoulder. "Don't be! My sister's a sweet girl, you'll be happy with her." 

Seijuurou chuckled nervously, putting on a perfectly rehearsed smile for the kindly man. "I hope I can do the same for her." At least, he hoped she wouldn't feel trapped living with a shut-in like himself. Perhaps they could come to a mutual agreement and not live with each other, or stay in separate rooms. Anything so that he didn't make the poor woman suffer in the marriage. 

"You're a good guy, I'm sure she'll be happy with you." The brother grinned and slapped Seijuurou on the back. "Good luck out there, and I'll see you at the reception later!" With that, he practically shoved Seijuurou through the door toward the altar where the priest was waiting for him. 

The priest was a kindly old man who had officiated many marriages in his fatherhood. He offered a warm smile to Seijuurou as the redhead nervously approached and reached out to shake his hand. After a moment of awkward silence, he spoke. "Is this truly what you want, young one?" It was almost as though he already knew Seijuurou was having second thoughts about the marriage. Old people really were amazing sometimes. 

Seijuurou swallowed hard and cast a glance around the church. "To be honest, Father, no." The priest nodded as though he already knew the answer. "I don't have a choice, though. I don't have much of a choice in anything I do." He hadn't meant for that to come out, but it did, and the elderly man seemed to completely understand what he meant. The sad look in his kind brown eyes gave everything away. 

"Nothing we can do about it now, son." The priest sighed and flipped through his bible. "Unless someone comes in and interrupts the wedding, of course. It's not unheard of, so don't rule it out before it happens." He offered a reassuring smile and cleared his throat. "For now, we'll start the ceremony and go ahead as planned." 

Seijuurou nodded, a little less nervous now that he knew the priest was, at least on the surface, on his side. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes as the organ started playing the familiar wedding march, and the grand doors at the end of the aisle swung open. Standing in the entrance was the bride, her veil covering her face and her train flowing behind her. She was lead along by her father, who had tears in his eyes and a proud smile on his face. 

For the walk up the aisle only taking about 30 seconds, it sure felt like hours to Seijuurou. _Why does this have to take so long? Is it because I'm dreading saying my vows?_ Thought after thought raced through Seijuurou's mind, only to come to a screeching halt when the next thing he saw in front of him was the woman who was supposed to be his wife. 

That's when the realization that he wasn't dreaming hit him like a train and left him feeling tight chested and light headed. This wasn't someone else's wedding and he wasn't going to get out of this by turning around and running out the door. This was _his_ wedding, and if he so much as tried to leave he knew what was coming to him. He suddenly felt very sick to his stomach, and nothing was registering to him. 

He was sure the priest was talking, but he couldn't understand a word he was saying. His fiancee looked worriedly between him and the priest, as though the old man could help in case Seijuurou actually happened to faint. _I'm... pretty sure he's not strong enough to hold me off the ground without tumbling down... And I would probably break his arm anyway..._

He didn't know what did it, but something snapped him back into reality. Perhaps it was the soft opening and closing of the main doors, or maybe it was the quiet gasping that echoed through the chapel. Either way, he was dragged forcefully back to his senses, and his head turned to see none other than Midorima Shintarou standing there at the end of the aisle. 

It seemed as though everyone mirrored Seijuurou's shock at the sudden intrusion. The room fell deadly silent after the murmurs of confusion and indignation were passed around from guest to guest, and all eyes trained on the stunned groom. His bride stepped forward and put a hand on his shoulder to whisper in his ear, "What do you want to do?" before backing away again. 

_What do I want to do?_ Seijuurou thought as he stared at the man standing quietly at the other end of the chapel. Despite his question, he already knew what he wanted to do. One look to the girl beside him, and he was already making his way down the aisle. Many people stood in protest, including his father, but he ignored them. Finally, he reached the taller man and stopped. 

It only took a moment of looking at each other quietly before arms were around waists and necks and lips were pressed together in what was quite possibly the single most loving and gentle kiss either of them had given or received. 

"Sorry to intrude." Shintarou murmured as he pulled back, a mischievous spark in his eyes that suggested he wasn't sorry at all about the intrusion. "However, I was under the impression weddings were supposed to be happy occasions, not terrifying ones." While he was speaking, his gaze shifted slowly from Seijuurou to Masaomi, who was beginning to storm down the aisle furiously. 

Before Seijuurou could open his mouth to speak, he was yanked to the side roughly by his wrist. "What," his father hissed into his ear, "do you think you're doing?" It was painfully obvious he wasn't at all pleased with this sudden development; if the tight grip he had on his son's arm said anything. "Did I not make myself clear five years ago? You are not allowed anywhere near that man." 

"You don't control me." Seijuurou spat back as he tore his arm away from his father's grasp. "I won't sit back and allow you to ruin this poor young lady's life by marrying her off to a man who can't find it within himself to love her. She deserves better than someone who is still in love with someone he was supposed to cut ties with five years ago." He took a few steps back and a deep breath, then sighed. "There will be no groom in this wedding." 

He didn't think of much as he turned and left the chapel, Shintarou hot on his heels as the entire congregation began to whisper and talk. They walked quite a distance before Shintarou finally reached out and stopped him. 

"Seijuurou, are you sure about what you just did?" He didn't feel like he was really one to talk, considering his presence pushed Seijuurou to make the decision to walk out of the wedding, but he still felt the need to ask. "Do you really want to do this?" 

Seijuurou sighed and finally gave in to mussing his hair up, effectively ruining the pristine look his father had demanded of him that morning. His hands were shaking, probably from leftover nerves and adrenaline. "I'm sure, Shintarou." He turned around and shot an almost giddy smile to the taller man. "I don't think you know how long I've wanted to do that..." 

"Many years, I'm sure." Shintarou rolled his eyes in amusement. "Well, if you're sure then why don't we pick up your things from your house before your father gets home? It will be easier than getting into an argument when he does finally realize what you just did." Honestly speaking, he would really rather not listen to the two of them argue for hours on end. He'd heard it enough in the one day they had all been at the manor at the same time. 

"Right, let's go." Seijuurou nodded and began walking again, faster this time. If they walked quickly and didn't get lost, they could gather anything he needed from his now sparse room and parlor before Masaomi even thought to get in the car and rush back to try any stop his son from leaving--or tell him to go and never come back. "I will have to make a trip to a new bank soon as well, so remind me to do that." 

"I will." Shintarou chuckled quietly. "Let's just focus on one thing at a time. You need to get whatever you need from your house in as little packaging as possible as quickly as possible in order to escape whatever lecture your father surely has planned for you after pulling a stunt like that. Then, when we're inside the apartment, we can talk about the rest of it." 

"I suppose you're right." Seijuurou sighed. His mind was still racing ahead at what felt like a thousand miles per hour, but he steadily began to slow down as they walked. The farther from the church they got, the more clear his head became. Finally, when he no longer felt like every thought was passing him by faster than he could comprehend, he realized what had just happened, and consequently, what he had done. 

"...Oh my god." 

"Hmm?" 

"You just crashed the wedding, and I just walked out."


	2. Leaving Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After walking out on the wedding and finally coming to the realization that yes, he did just walk out of his own wedding and openly defied his father, Seijuurou decides to move out of the manor and into an apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 yo holla!  
> This time, getting everything from the house.  
> And some other fun things.  
> You know, fun stuff!

Shintarou covered his mouth to laugh at Seijuurou's stunned reaction to his realization of his actions. For being such a brilliant young man, he sure did have his moments. He had to admit, those moments where his incredible perception lapsed were quite endearing. "Yes," He said as he took the redhead's hand in his own and lead him down the street toward the crosswalk. "You did just walk out of your wedding because I interrupted it." 

Seijuurou sighed and intertwined their fingers, holding tightly. "Glad to know I didn't just imagine doing that." At least he wasn't still stuck at the altar and just wishing there had been an interruption to save him. He'd spent so long before the ceremony hoping something would happen to ruin the wedding, but never in a million years had he expected the thing that ruined it to be his ex--well, perhaps no longer his ex--boyfriend. 

"Do you think the young woman you were supposed to marry is upset?" Shintarou asked, his curiosity getting the best of him. She looked fine when she watched Seijuurou walk down the aisle toward him, but he could never be quite sure. If there was anything he learned from having a little sister, it was that women were much more difficult to read than men. They could pretend to be perfectly fine one moment, then break down in tears the very next. 

Seijuurou thought for a moment. "I'm not sure. She is a very honest woman, and she knew how opposed to the arrangement I was." He paused, trying his best to put himself in her shoes for just a moment. "I think she must be fine, if pretending to be upset only to appease her family." A shudder ran through him when he remembered her family. Her older brother, who was so protective and... really quite intimidating. Hopefully they wouldn't run into each other again. 

"What a kind young lady, then." Shintarou hummed. "I hope she finds someone who can truly make her happy." He was just happy to know she was understanding of Seijuurou's feelings. It had worried him when he had gotten the text a while ago about the engagement, and he would be lying if he said it didn't make him feel like it was all part of some poorly written princess movie. 

Seijuurou nodded. "I hope she does, too." It would be awful to find out she ended up lonely her whole life. Then again, perhaps she wasn't the kind of woman who wanted to settle down. She might just be fine on her own. He didn't know, and really didn't think he would get the chance to ask her. "I can't dwell on today for too long, I'll just start to feel guilty for leaving if I do." 

Shintarou hummed his agreement and gently squeezed his companion's hand. "We do need to focus on what you're going to do once you get all your things from your house. Do you have anywhere else to go?" If he were less reserved, he would have outright suggested Seijuurou came to live with him, but he didn't want to impose too much, especially after having spent the last five years unable to physically see each other. 

"Actually..." Seijuurou mumbled and looked down at the sidewalk, "I was wondering if I could stay with you for a while, while I try to figure everything out?" He didn't much like asking for things, especially to stay with someone else after he just made a rash and selfish decision, but he really couldn't think of anyone else he could stay with who wasn't already married or preoccupied with other things. 

Shintarou smiled and shook his head. "No, I wouldn't mind if you came to live with me. And..." He paused, using his free hand to rub at the back of his neck. "It wouldn't have to be a temporary arrangement, if you didn't want it to be." Honestly speaking, he would feel better if Seijuurou came to live with him permanently. It would at least give him a sense of security, knowing the redhead was somewhere safe. 

Seijuurou blinked and looked up at Shintarou. "Really? You wouldn't mind if I lived with you? I don't want to intrude or anything..." 

"I wouldn't have suggested it if I didn't want you around." Shintarou reaffirmed. "You wouldn't be intruding at all." He really couldn't think of anyone else he'd rather live with. It helped that they hadn't really seen each other in years, and wanted to spend as much time as possible around each other as well. "Besides, the apartment is a little sparse, I could do with someone's company." 

"Then... I suppose it wouldn't really be terribly intrusive of me." Seijuurou smiled a little bit and nodded. He had to wonder what kind of apartment Shintarou had gotten, and if it really was sparsely decorated or if he was just trying to make it sound that way. Then again, Shintarou wasn't exactly known for loving decorations all over the place; something he figured he could fix when they got there. 

Soon, they reached the large manor of the Akashi estate, and he sighed as he pulled out the key for the gate. "There's only a few things I need to retrieve besides my clothes. I won't be long, if you don't want to come inside with me." Shintarou nodded and let go of his hand as he quickly made his way inside. 

All he really wanted to grab were a few books from the parlor, his violin, and some mementos from his room. Nothing major, he wasn't too attached to most of the objects in his house anyway. Making quick work of gathering his belongings, he stuffed most of them into a duffel bag. He only carefully placed pictures and a few small boxes. He figured he would sort through it later. 

As soon as he had everything together and zipped up, he all but ran down the stairs to the foyer. "...Well, I suppose I won't be needing the house keys any more if I'm not living here." He put the violin case down and took the keys out of his pocket once more to set them on the coffee table before taking a quick look around the large living room. "I better get going, father might come home soon." With that, he gathered his things again and left the house, back the sidewalk where Shintarou was waiting patiently.

"So you _can_ get things done quickly, when you really want to." The green haired man teased lightly as the redhead approached and closed the gate behind him. He chuckled when the shorter of the two gave him a look. "Well, the complex isn't too far away from here, and it should only take us a few minutes to get there. Are you ready to go?" 

Seijuurou nodded. "Yes, I think so." He shifted the bag on his shoulder as they began walking. They walked a way he had only been a few times, considering he never really needed to go that way for anything. It was a nice area, at least. Nothing too terribly fancy, but nice nonetheless. The apartment complex was nice as well, which was a good thing. He had subconsciously worried about it being shady. 

"Well, here we are." Shintarou stated as they walked into the apartment. "It's nothing big, but it's a place to live, and it's homey." He took the duffel bag from Seijuurou and set it down on the couch. "You brought clothes with you, right?" He didn't think Seijuurou would be that neglectful to forget to pack his own clothes, but there were times the redhead wasn't exactly the best at remembering what he needed. When he opened the duffel bag, he was relieved to see there was at least enough for a few weeks. So he didn't really need to worry at all, then. 

"As you can see," Seijuurou nodded and stepped forward to grab a pair of jeans and a sweater, "I did bring some of my clothing." He smiled, a glint in his eye. "Believe it or not, I'm not terribly fond of always wearing a suit. It gets just a little bit uncomfortable after a while." 

Shintarou raised his eyebrows in mock surprise. "How odd. You seem like just the kind of man who would _love_ to wear nothing but suits his whole life." Seijuurou rolled his eyes, and he laughed quietly. "Why don't you go take a shower and get comfortable? Then we can get you settled in." He turned and kissed the redhead on the forehead before he walked off toward the washroom. 

Any other time and he might have had inhibitions about going through Seijuurou's personal objects, but now it didn't really seem to matter. They had known each other so long, it was almost as though he already knew what the smaller man put in the bag. Of course, there were his favorite books from the parlor, the box of his mother's photos, and the special family pictures from his childhood. He had expected those. What he hadn't expected was the small assortment of different, small boxes. If he hadn't have known any better, he would say they were for rings and other jewelry. "Maybe they belonged to his mother..." It wasn't out of the question. He knew Seijuurou tended to wear his mother's wedding ring around his neck on occasion. 

He decided not to pry. If Seijuurou wanted to tell him about the boxes, he would. Instead, he set all the objects on the couch and took the bag with him to his room. "We'll have to go shopping for him soon, so he has more clothes." He made a mental note to remind Seijuurou to do that soon, as well as go to the bank. They could do that later; right then he just wanted to make sure everything was alright. 

He heard the shower turn off and decided to meet Seijuurou in the living room instead of making him wait around. The redhead's hair was still sopping wet, and actually lay flat for once. He had the towel around his neck, and was currently wiping his face with it. "Thank you for letting me live with you, Shintarou. I appreciate it." 

"Mm hmm." Shintarou hummed. He had to say, he had missed seeing the smaller man right after he finished taking a shower. Really, he had just missed being around his boyfriend in general. It was nice to be in each other's company again, even if the circumstances leading up to it weren't exactly favorable. Either way, they were together now and that was all that mattered. "I already put all your clothing in the closet." 

"Oh, thank you." Seijuurou nodded. "Where should I put this?" He motioned to the discarded suit tucked in his arm, folded as neatly as it could be. He didn't want to assume he should put them somewhere; he knew Shintarou liked things exactly in their place. 

"There's a hamper in the bedroom, just throw it in there." Shintarou shrugged a little bit. "The towel can go there too, if you don't want to use it again after getting all that hair gel on it." Luckily it would wash off eventually. It would just feel weird until then. Not a big deal, really. He had plenty of towels. Honestly speaking, he probably had too many; his mother wanted to make sure he was prepared for whatever. 

"Alright then." Seijuurou hummed quietly and turned around to go drop the towel and suit in the hamper. When he returned, he ran his hands through his still damp hair and took a good look around the room for the first time. Despite Shintarou calling it "sparsely decorated", he found the space warm and inviting. It felt like home, even though he had previously never been there. 

"I don't know what you were talking about when you said your apartment was sparse," He said as he made his way to the couch and sat down. "I think it looks nice." Then again, he had always had a soft spot for smaller homes and living spaces. They always felt so much better than the large, cold, empty house he used to call his. 

Shintarou smiled and sat beside him. "I suppose it does look alright." He cast a quick glance around the room, taking everything in. "It could use a little more here and there, though." Which shouldn't be a problem, considering who he was now living with. Seijuurou had a knack for finding decor that would liven up the house, no matter how impossible it seemed. 

"We'll have to go find some things, then." Seijuurou agreed as he pulled his feet up underneath him. "I'm going to go to the bank tomorrow and transfer the money from my account somewhere else, so maybe I can do a little bit of shopping while I'm out." Nothing major, probably. Just some things for the walls. "We'll see, though. I still need to put my other things away." 

"Mm." Shintarou hummed and adjusted his glasses. "We'll find places for them later. Let's just relax for now, you've been going almost non-stop all day long." It wasn't exactly unexpected of Seijuurou, but definitely not the best for him. Especially when he had been going non-stop due to events he would rather not partake in. It wouldn't be too much of a stretch to assume the redhead was currently fighting drowsiness. 

"Alright." Seijuurou agreed. He could use a little down time. It had been a crazy couple of days leading up to the wedding, and now he was completely exhausted. He was grateful he wasn't stuck at the reception around all those people. He yawned quietly and leaned against Shintarou's shoulder, his eyes beginning to slip closed as his mind and heart slowed. It wasn't even four-o'-clock yet, and it had already been one of the longest days of his life. The second half was shaping up to be much better, especially now that he was living with someone he loved in a safe, quiet space. He figured he could get used to it.


	3. New Member of the House

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shintarou decided to add "spontaneously adopting kittens and bringing them home" to the list of reasons why Seijuurou should no longer be allowed to go out by himself. 
> 
> He also decided to add "barging into other people's houses uninvited" to the list of reasons why Chihiro and Shuuzou were terrible people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone is enjoying what I'm doing with the story so far!  
> I have 4 more chapters planned, because I'm going to end it on a sweet note~

The rest of the day had been relatively uneventful. It had consisted of settling Seijuurou in and catching up on all the things they couldn't talk about during their separation. What had started as an awkward, vaguely negative and depressing day turned into something warm and lovely. They talked about their last year of high school and their college experiences, pausing every now and again to laugh at something that had happened to them during that time. Overall, it was a wonderful evening for both of them.

They shared a bed for the first time in years that night as well. At first it was awkward, but soon enough they melted together like they used to, with Seijuurou tucked comfortably against Shintarou, and Shintarou's arm across his body. It was like they had never been apart, and they both had to say it felt wonderful.

Seijuurou, of course, was the first one awake in the morning. He yawned quietly and stretched his arms as much as he could without disturbing his sleeping companion, then stared out the veiled window. Just then, he realized this whole thing was real and not some fantasy. He already knew he had walked out of his wedding and left his bride smiling after him at the altar, but the fact he had actually left his father's house and moved in with his boyfriend was something he almost struggled to realize.

At least, until he was startled with a lazy kiss to his cheek and a squeeze to his torso. "Good morning," Shintarou mumbled quietly, sleepiness still dripping off his voice. "Did you sleep well last night?"

"I think so." Seijuurou nodded and smiled softly as he turned around to face the taller man. "Did you?" If he had to guess, he would say he did. He still knew, after all those years, exactly what Shintarou looked like when he had a good night's sleep. It was comforting to know he hadn't forgotten much about the other.

"Yes, I did." Shintarou responded mid-yawn and reached back to grab his glasses to settle them on his face. When his eyes fully adjusted to the bright morning light, he reached up and pat down some of Seijuurou's unruly hair. "It's amazing how messy your hair can get without you even moving at night." He chuckled when Seijuurou grinned and rolled his eyes, and moved the redhead's bangs away from his forehead to kiss it. "It's cute."

Seijuurou could feel his face heating up, yet he couldn't help but smile bashfully at the compliment. "Thank you." One thing he was happy for as he got older was his tendency to deny compliments went down by quite a bit, even if they still embarrassed him. Speaking of embarrassment, he had only just now realized he didn't have any of his usual concealer on and Shintarou could see the freckles dotting his cheeks and nose. Not that it mattered, he had seen them more than anyone.

"Mm hmm." Shintarou hummed. He had to say, he really had missed the mornings he could wake up to see his boyfriend smiling up at him. Seeing it again just solidified his happiness to have the redhead back in his life, and he hoped this time it would be permanent. At least, the way things were going, it sounded like it was going to be a routine thing.

"We should get up and get something to eat so you can go get some things done today." He said as they untangled themselves from each other and sat up. "You'll be happy to know I learned how to cook."

Seijuurou chuckled. "Oh? Took you long enough. Did you learn before you moved in here, or did you take a crash course?" His tone was light and teasing, but gently so. He would never press a subject too far and cause discomfort, but it was amusing to know Shintarou _finally_ learned how to cook. It made it easier to live on his own and not rely entirely on microwave meals and takeout.

"My mother taught me before I moved out." Shintarou scoffed playfully as he stood. "I'm still not very good, but at least I don't burn everything I cook anymore." He still remembered the first time he tried to bake with Seijuurou and how they had to stand outside in the rain while the fire department checked the kitchen and Seijuurou nearly fell on the ground laughing. It wasn't funny at the time, but now he saw it as a fond memory.

Seijuurou smiled and stretched. "Good to know." He stood and pulled a t-shirt on, then followed Shintarou out of the bedroom toward the small kitchen in the living area. "I'll let you pick something to make, I'm not terribly hungry right now." He never was. Mornings just weren't conducive to his appetite, he supposed. Made it hard to eat a healthy breakfast every morning, that was for sure.

"Of course you aren't." Shintarou rolled his eyes. He made his way into the kitchen and pulled out a small pan from the cabinet. "I'll just scramble some eggs, and you can have however many you want." He figured that was pretty prudent. If he just scrambled four eggs and put them all on the same plate, they could share. He had learned that trick back in the first few months of their relationship; it minimized the waste of food _and_ got Seijuurou to eat breakfast.

"That sounds good." Seijuurou nodded and started walking around the living room, looking at the different things he didn't get the chance to observe the night before. There were a few shelves of books, most of which he recognized from when they were in high school, some of which seemed to be relatively new. Most of them were textbooks from college, others were novels. "...You never told me what you went to college for, Shintarou."

"Oh, I went to study medicine. I work at a Pharmacy now." Shintarou called back from the kitchen. "I forgot to mention it last night, but it didn't seem like it fit with the rest of the conversation." At first, he had planned on becoming a doctor, but found he liked the pharmacy much better. It was less stressful and more forgiving, even if it didn't pay as well. "Speaking of which, you never told me what you went to college for, either."

Seijuurou was quiet for a moment before answering. "I actually went to study a few things. I studied business like my father wanted me to, but I did extra courses to get a degree in languages and literature." It was so like him to go out and do things beyond expectation and put far too much stress on himself. "I never really intend to use my business degree, to be completely honest with you."

Shintarou laughed quietly and shook his head. "I don't expect you to." He moved the finished eggs to a plate and poked his head out of the kitchen. "Before you get too caught up with the books on my shelf, come eat something. You still have things planned for the rest of the day, and you'll need energy." He would drag the redhead into the dining area if he had to. Not that he needed to, Seijuurou was already beginning to make his way toward him.

They ate quickly, chatting idly about plans for the day and the rest of the week. Soon, Seijuurou disappeared into the bedroom to get dressed and reemerged wearing something more presentable in public, his hair brushed down as well as he could get it with what little effort he put forth into actually brushing it. He came back into the kitchen where Shintarou was cleaning up and leaned up to peck him on the cheek. "I'm going out. I have my phone with me."

"Alright, be careful." Shintarou nodded and turned to return the gesture. "Call me if you need anything, I'll be home most of the day."

"I will." Seijuurou nodded and pulled his shoes on, then stood and left the apartment building to go find a new bank and do a little bit of shopping on the side. He spent most of the afternoon working with his new bank to get everything transferred out of his current account safely and hassling with his old bank accountant to close the account without notifying his father about it. It was headache inducing, but he felt much better after everything was finished and he knew it was secure.

He took a short shopping trip at a nearby clothing store to get more than two weeks' worth of clothes, and started to make his way home when he heard the distinct sound of a kitten's mewl from somewhere near him. As soon as he located the box the little creature was seated in, he knelt down and picked her up gingerly. "Oh, you poor thing..." The little fluffball mewled quietly again and nuzzled his cheek, beginning to walk up his arm to reach the warmth of his torso.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to bring you home with me..." He mumbled and absently scratched behind her ears. "Shintarou won't mind too much, I hope." He cradled his free arm under her as she settled in against his chest and picked up his bags before turning back to the apartment. He vaguely recalled seeing a sign that stated the complex was pet friendly, so he didn't think having a kitten would be a big deal.

When he returned, Shintarou was sitting on the couch reading a book. "Oh, you're back early." He glanced over out of the corner of his eye and offered a small smile. "How did things go at the bank?"

"Tedious." Seijuurou rolled his eyes as he lazily discarded his shoes and set his bags down by the bookshelf. "I fought with my old bank for at least half an hour about the reason for terminating my account, and even then they still wanted to send my father a message about it. I'm twenty four! It's not like he needs to know about everything I do." He heaved a heavy sigh and sat himself down next to Shintarou on the couch, careful not to disturb the now sleeping kitten in his arm.

Shintarou snorted in amusement and placed his bookmark in his book. "Well, it's done now." He sighed and put the book off to the side, then turned his head toward the redhead. When he noticed the sleeping kitten in his arms, he frowned slightly. "...It seems you've also managed to pick up a kitten."

"Oh, yes." Seijuurou nodded and gently pet the kitten's head. "She was cold and hungry, Shintarou. I couldn't just leave her there." He turned back to his boyfriend, an almost pleading look in his bright crimson eyes that never failed to make the green haired man give in, even if he didn't quite realize it himself. "I think she would be a wonderful addition to the apartment."

Shintarou sighed and adjusted his glasses. "...Fine, we can keep her." He had never really liked cats, but he had to admit this one really was cute. She had beautiful black fur spotted with grey and white dots, and charming little white "boots" on her paws. Her ears were white as well, giving her an overall charming and enchanting look. If he had to guess, he would say her eyes would be blue. Either way, she was just a charming little creature. "Have you named her yet?"

"No, I'm not sure what to name her." Seijuurou shook his head and looked down to the little ball of fluff. "She's very sweet, though, and has a quiet meow." He hadn't actually thought about what to name her before he got home, he was just concerned with her safety.

Shintarou thought for a moment. "Her fur looks like the night sky, or a constellation." He observed, watching her breathe. "Perhaps we could name her after one of the constellations, or a star."

"You're right..." Seijuurou hummed. "How about Carina, then?" It rolled off the tongue, at least. When he said the name, the little kitten woke up and stretched, yawning tiredly as she woke up completely. "Oh, I woke her up."

Shintarou smiled a little bit and reached out to pet Carina as she stared curiously at him. "I suppose she likes the name." She purred as he scratched gently under her chin and climbed over Seijuurou to sit on his lap and get more attention from the stoic man. "You're right, she is very sweet." He hadn't expected such a little kitten to be so cuddly. Usually, kittens had boundless energy. He was fine with her quiet attitude, though.

"I told you." Seijuurou smiled and leaned against Shintarou as Carina started exploring around her new owners and looking around the room. "We need to get her food and water as soon as possible, though. I don't want her dying of starvation or anything." That would just break his heart. He hated seeing such small animals die to neglect, especially if he could have done something to help prevent it from happening.

Shintarou nodded and gently pried the curious feline off his chest and set her on his lap again. "Then I suppose we should go to the pet store and get some supplies for her. The sooner we have them, the better." If she was hungry, it wouldn't do them any good to wait around to get her food. "Should we bring her with us?"

"Probably." Seijuurou nodded and pet Carina as she stumbled over to him, a quiet and squeaky meow of agreement escaping from her mouth. He smiled tenderly down to her as she curled up comfortably in his lap and lay there purring contentedly. "Who knows what havoc she might wreak while we're gone?"

Just as Shintarou was about to nod and stand to get his shoes and keys, the door opened. Standing in the entrance were none other than Chihiro and Shuuzou, who had somehow managed to find their way to Shintarou's apartment with very little help (and by that, it meant they only asked Tetsuya and the lady in the lobby for directions to the apartment).

"Hey brats." Chihiro greeted, without so much of an apology for barging in without permission. "Shuuzou heard about something that went down yesterday and dragged me along to see if the rumors we heard were true. So here we are." He always had a way with words, Chihiro did. At least he was honest, if nothing else. It was cold comfort when he quite literally just opened the door without knocking not a minute ago, but it was something.

"Sorry about Chihiro. It seems like he didn't actually get rid of his habit of inviting himself in..." Shuuzou groaned as he entered and closed the door behind him. "But he's right, I was curious and dragged him along with me." He stopped to ruffle Seijuurou's hair like he used to do in middle school and offered both younger men an apologetic smile. He sat down in the rocking chair across from the couch and crossed his legs as Chihiro found a seat beside him. "So, tell me about it."

"Excuse me?" Shintarou blinked, still in shock that his old captain and Seijuurou's old senpai literally just walked in without even knocking on the door. "Did you just walk into my apartment without knocking or announcing your presence?"

"I thought we were past that." Chihiro droned, making eye contact with the confused man sitting across from him. "We walked in without knocking, and now we're asking about what happened yesterday. Caught up now?"

At that point, Seijuurou couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculousness of it all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way, I'm implementing a writing schedule. The first product of that was the Portal AU ficlet from yesterday.  
> This will be updated every other day until it finishes on the 15th, so look forward to it!


	4. Catching Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, after what seemed like hours of trying to understand the fact that Chihiro and Shuuzou just walked into the apartment, everything settled down. Seijuurou recounted everything that had happened the day before, pausing only occasionally to answer questions about the situation, and "how the hell he managed to get in and out of his house without getting caught by anyone".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo chapter four done!   
> I hope this is alright, I wasn't exactly sure where I wanted to go with it.
> 
> Hopefully chapter five will be less awkward.

Finally, after what seemed like hours of trying to understand the fact that Chihiro and Shuuzou just walked into the apartment, everything settled down. Seijuurou recounted everything that had happened the day before, pausing only occasionally to answer questions about the situation, and "how the hell he managed to get in and out of his house without getting caught by anyone". 

When the story was over, Shuuzou sat back with a short nod. "Well, that sounds like a pretty crazy day to me." He couldn't imagine himself in that scenario. Honestly speaking, he would have walked out of the marriage before the plans were even finished. "You sure everything's okay right now? You're not like... freaking out on the inside or anything?" No matter how hard he tried, the black haired man couldn't seem to shake his brotherly instincts toward the redhead. He just felt he needed someone like that sometimes. 

"Oh, I'm fine." Seijuurou smiled in return. "Much better now that I'm not living there, actually." He thought he would have been panicking and stressing all day, but in fact it was the exact opposite. He had never felt more calm and relaxed his whole life. It felt absolutely _wonderful_. He didn't have to worry about finishing chores and other things before his father got home, could do what he wanted whenever he wanted... really, it was just a good feeling. "I don't think I've ever been this relaxed." 

"Good to hear." Chihiro hummed quietly. "You've always been a little ball of stress and nerves, haven't you?" Based off the many stories Shuuzou had told him about middle school, he figured that was always the case. It certainly was during high school, that was for sure. He couldn't remember a single day where the shorter boy had seemed even remotely relaxed. 

"Yes, he has." Shintarou cut in before Seijuurou could argue, and put his arm around his boyfriend's shoulders. "But I suppose the change of scene has done you well, hmm?" 

Seijuurou nodded and leaned against the taller man just slightly. "Yes, I think so." It certainly helped with his stress levels, that was for sure. He had promised Shintarou he would help pay the rent, but considering the amount of money he already had in his account and the fact he was planning on finding work after settling down a little bit, he didn't think that would cause too many issues. 

"It's amazing what getting out of a shitty house can do for you." Chihiro commented, impressed. "You even look healthier, brat. I'm happy for you." And really, he was. He couldn't think of anything better for the younger man than to get out of that house and away from his dad. Well, having Shintarou around helped a lot too. As much as he hated the green haired boy when they first got together, he had to admit he was perfect for Seijuurou in every way. 

"Thank you, Mayuzumi-san." Seijuurou smiled at Chihiro, who just nodded in return. He had come to accept that the grey haired man didn't really smile a whole lot, and preferred to show his affection in other ways. One of those ways, he figured out, was by calling him 'brat' and ragging on his terrible habits. It went from mildly annoying to sweet in little over a year. 

Shuuzou, who had spent the past three minutes looking around the room curiously, finally decided to rejoin the conversation. "So what's your next step gonna be? Are you planning on going to work somewhere or something?" 

"I am." Seijuurou nodded. "Shintarou told me I need to settle down and relax for a few months first, though, and that I can't get a high-stress job." It was a bit embarrassing to admit, but Shuuzou would learn the truth somehow anyway, and he at least wanted to be the one who told him. "I'm thinking of working in a library or a book store, at least part time." 

Shuuzou nodded and hummed quietly. "Good to know you still have someone looking after you to make sure you're doing okay." He had been a bit worried when Tetsuya told him about what happened in high school, but it seems they managed to keep in touch behind Seijuurou's father's back. 

He checked his watch and raised his eyebrows, then turned to Chihiro. "It's getting late, we should go home." The grey haired man shrugged, and he rolled his eyes as he stood. "Sorry again for barging in unannounced and asking you a bunch of stupid questions, but it's good to see you two are doing well." He smiled and ruffled their hair before heading toward the door.

Chihiro sighed and stood as well, stopping only to give Seijuurou's hair a gentle pet. "Take care, brat. See you soon." With that, the two of them left the apartment and all was quiet once more. 

Carina stretched and yawned, beginning to knead into Seijuurou's leg. He winced as her claws dug in and carefully pried her off him. "We need to go get her supplies. Including some claw covers." He had forgotten how sharp kitten claws were. He wasn't willing to go and get her declawed, but some covers would be nice so she wouldn't tear everything up. 

"Right." Shintarou nodded. He had almost entirely forgotten that's what they were going to do before Chihiro and Shuuzou so rudely interrupted them. "If we're going to go, we better go soon. The stores will close in a few hours." 

Seijuurou nodded and stood up, still holding Carina to him. She squirmed to get comfortable and settled down in the crook of his elbow. "Let's go, then. We don't need to get a lot of things, just food and water bowls, kitten food, claw covers, a collar and a name tag." He figured that would be sufficient enough for the time being. They could get her toys the next day, and until then she could entertain herself with their hands and feet as he knew she would. 

Shintarou sighed a little bit, and they left the apartment to head to the pet store. It took a while to find one that was still open, and then even longer to find exactly what they needed. Since neither of them had ever owned a kitten before, they had virtually no idea what kind of food to get. Eventually, they picked something and returned home. Carina fought with the collar at first, but eventually conceded when offered a treat as a reward for wearing it. The claw covers were an entirely different story, however, and eventually left both men laughing at the little black kitten's indignant attitude toward the little plastic pieces.

The sun went down not much later, and after they ate they sat together in the living area on the couch, just cuddling and watching Carina explore her new home. Seijuurou rested his head on Shintarou's shoulder and smiled. "She's grown on you already, hasn't she?" He inquired, a hint of teasing in his voice. Shintarou just hummed quietly, and he chuckled. "I think she's just darling." 

"I suppose she is." The taller of the two finally conceded as he watched Carina try--and fail--to get up on the rocking chair a few times. Her energy had picked up considerably after being fed and given water, and now she was acting like any respectable kitten would; energetically and quite stupidly. It _was_ incredibly charming, though, he had to admit that. "I wonder how much trouble she'll cause us..." 

"More than enough, I'm sure." Seijuurou smiled. "She _is_ still very young, you know. Kittens have boundless amounts of energy." And judging by her interest in literally everything she could see, he figured Carina wouldn't lose much of it as she got older. It would be like having a child; just with less back talk and a lot more fur. He yawned and closed his eyes for a moment. "I wish I were still that energetic..." 

Shintarou rolled his eyes a bit and stroked the smaller man's hair gently. "You would never sleep if you were." He didn't want to think about that possibility. Seijuurou was energetic enough as it was, having more would just be a problem. "Speaking of sleeping, perhaps we should retire for the night? You sound pretty tired." 

"Perhaps we should..." Seijuurou nodded a little bit. He barely shifted as Carina hopped onto his lap and sat down to stare expectantly up at him, and yawned again. "Though, I can't say I have much planned for tomorrow." Maybe he would go over to Tetsuya and Daiki's house and give them the news, or take Carina to the vet for her first checkup. That would have to be decided in the morning. 

Shintarou smiled and kissed Seijuurou's temple. "Then you'll have to stand up so we can actually go to the bedroom." 

"...Will you carry me?" Seijuurou asked quietly and cracked his eyes open to look up at his boyfriend. "I have a kitten on me, and I don't want to disturb her." Sometimes he was really good at making excuses for not getting up and doing things himself. That was not one of those times, but Shintarou couldn't tell him no, so instead of standing up like he was supposed to, the redhead got lifted off the couch bridal style and carried into their shared bedroom. 

"Are you going to get changed before you fall asleep tonight?" The bespectacled man asked gently as he lay Seijuurou down on the bed. Carina took that opportunity to explore the vast expanse of the king sized bed and started wandering around on the comforter, around the pillows and under the blanket at the foot of the bed. "Or are you going to sleep in your jeans?" 

"I suppose I'll get changed." Seijuurou groaned quietly and sat up to get into his pajamas. Once he had successfully changed his clothes, he flipped the comforter over and got under the covers. Carina immediately followed suit as he turned on his side and snuggled up into his stomach, already beginning to fall asleep. He waited for Shintarou to climb in bed and turn the light off to close his eyes. "Good night, Shintarou..." 

"Good night." Shintarou whispered as he situated himself around the redhead and closed his eyes. As his mind began to slow down, he had to think about what their future would hold, and how long this would last. His last thought before falling unconscious was of something more... permanent than their current relationship.


	5. Settling Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It had been a few months, and Seijuurou finally set into a routine. He managed to find a part-time job at a book store near the pharmacy Shintarou worked at, and soon seemed comfortable doing pretty much anything again. 
> 
> One day, he takes a short trip to go see Tetsuya and catch up, only to come home to a... surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Urgh I didn't do this yesterday and I'm not happy about it.   
> But it's done.   
> Only two chapters left! 
> 
> Please enjoy~

Months passed since Seijuurou moved in with Shintarou and they adopted Carina, and finally they settled into a routine. After a few weeks of doing nothing around the house and getting fidgety, Seijuurou got a job at the local book store part-time. He would have worked full time, but Shintarou refused to allow it on the grounds that he would "slowly start overworking yourself and get exhausted"; which, much to his chagrin, was incredibly true. 

So he worked part-time and stayed home playing with Carina the rest of it. It at least gave his life a sense of routine, and it made him feel useful. As nice as the relaxation was, it made him feel like a dead-weight, so going back to doing something productive with his time was very therapeutic. Even if he spent most of his time at work chatting with the other clerks and looking for new books to read. 

On the rare day they were both home all day long, they spent it relaxing and doing things together. Usually, it was accompanied by naps or short walks in the park; something simple and easy. Sometimes they went out, but never for long--Carina gets a little fussy when she's left home alone for too long. Either way, those days were very easy-going and cathartic for both of them; it made their crazy lives much more relaxing. 

On one of those days; however, Shintarou suggested Seijuurou go out and spend time with some of his friends for the day. "It will be good for you to reconnect with Tetsuya, at least." He stated upon noticing the redhead's obvious displeasure with the idea. "You two haven't talked in a few years; since you attended Taiga's wedding." He did remember hearing the stories of Taiga's and Satsuki's wedding day. Unfortunately, he had been out of the country and couldn't make it to the ceremony, but Satsuki assured him it wasn't a big deal and that "Taiga was as stupid as always, anyway". 

"I suppose so..." Seijuurou sighed. He did want to go talk to Tetsuya again and get caught up at least a little bit, but he had no idea what he should talk about. Well... he could always start with the "I left my bride at the altar to run away with the man my father hates" story. That was always a conversation starter, as he found out. Many people became curious and asked a lot of questions after that. "Perhaps I should go talk to him." 

"I would." Shintarou nodded. "I'm sure he wants to see you, anyway." He would be more surprised if he didn't, actually. Tetsuya always wanted to know what was happening with Seijuurou. He would ask almost monthly, even when Shintarou hadn't seen the man in years and had no idea what was happening with him any more. "It will get you out of the house, too, and you need more of that."

Seijuurou raised his eyebrows. "Are you saying I'm a shut-in?" He demanded, mock offense dripping off his tongue. 

"Yes, yes I am." Shintarou chuckled. "Because you _are_ a shut-in." 

"...Alright, I suppose I don't have a counter argument for that." Seijuurou sighed in defeat. He really _was_ a shut-in. He much preferred time inside than outside, and tended to avoid human contact unless it was for work or on his own volition. He wasn't as bad as Chihiro or Makoto were, but he had his days. "Anyway, I think I will go see Tetsuya today." 

Shintarou smiled a little bit. "Good. Drive safely, okay?" He leaned down and placed a chaste kiss on the redhead's lips, then gently ruffled his hair slightly. 

"I will. See you in a few hours." Seijuurou smiled and turned to leave. As he pulled out of the parking garage, he realized he may not exactly know where Tetsuya lived any more. He sighed and pulled his phone out of his pocket and quickly dialed the cyan haired man's number. "Please have your phone on you..." 

A few rings later, Tetsuya finally picked up. "Hello? Akashi-kun?" He sounded like he had just woken up from a nap. Then again, he spent almost all of his time around Daiki, so perhaps he picked up the total lack of energy from the other man. "...Are you driving and on the phone at the same time?"

"Hello Tetsuya." Seijuurou sighed and rolled his eyes. "Yes, I am driving. I need to know your address." He was mentally preparing himself for the nagging that was sure to come, as Tetsuya liked to take over for the role of mother for him sometimes. He tended to nag about anything and everything, and could find pretty much anything to nag at Seijuurou for. Now, he was sure it would be his nasty habit of talking on the phone while driving. 

"We're on the corner, three streets down from the vet's office." Tetsuya sighed. "And really, Akashi-kun, you should be pulled over while you're talking. You could get in an accident and hurt yourself." Not that he should be the one talking, he did a bunch of stuff while driving. All courtesy of Daiki's bad habits, of course. Seijuurou just didn't need to know that. 

Seijuurou rolled his eyes. "I'll hang up, then. See you soon." After a hum of acknowledgement from the cyan haired man, he clicked the red phone button and threw his cell into the seat next to him. "...So I'll keep driving after I reach the vet's, then." He had to hope he would be going the right direction, Tetsuya didn't give very good instructions. Three streets down on the corner didn't really help when he didn't know if he should turn right or left. 

In the end, he drove around for a while before finally arriving at the correct house. "How embarrassing." He sighed as he climbed out of the car and shut the door. He had to admit; Tetsuya's house was very nice. Small, but homey and warm. The garden in front accentuated the light blue on the siding, and the pastel red of the shutters. The only thing out of place was the orange garage door, but he figured that would be replaced soon. 

It also looked like there was someone else there, judging by the fact he had never known Tetsuya to drive a powder blue Prius. 

Before he could even make it up to the stairs to knock on the door, Daiki opened it. "Yo," he greeted tiredly and waved, "Tetsu said you were coming over. Find your way here with the shitty directions okay, or did you get lost a few times?" It was like he expected it at this point. Apparently, as they got older, Tetsuya got worse and worse at giving directions. "You coulda called me and I woulda given you better directions, you know."

"Yes, Daiki, thank you." Seijuurou offered a small smile and walked up the steps as he stuck his keys in his jacket pocket. "Is now a bad time? It looks like you already have visitors, and I don't want to intrude." He should've known Tetsuya wouldn't have mentioned any visitors when he called. Perhaps he really should have called Daiki for the directions. 

Before the other man could answer; however, someone else came to the door, her unmistakable bright pink hair pulled back in a ponytail, leaving only her bangs. 

"Sei-kun! It's been so long since I last saw you!" Satsuki sang as she pushed passed Daiki to give the redhead a tight hug. "I know this isn't my house, but come in!" Even though it was meant to be an invitation, as the words were leaving her mouth she grabbed Seijuurou by the wrist and dragged him inside. "Oh, you look so much better than you did when we last talked! Have you moved out finally?" 

Ever the analyst, Satsuki was. Seijuurou chuckled quietly and nodded as he quietly greeted Taiga and Tetsuya, who were in the living room talking. "Actually, I have. Just recently, though." It seemed to be enough for Satsuki, though, as she practically squealed and pushed him into the living room with as much force as he would have expected from Atsushi when a new snack item he wanted came out. 

"Did you guys hear that?" She exclaimed as they entered the living room and she all but shoved the dazed redhead onto the couch next to her husband, who shook his head. The selective hearing; still incredibly strong with that one it seemed. "Well, how'd you manage to convince your father to let you do it?" 

"Yes, that's sure to be an interesting story." Tetsuya nodded and sat up a little straighter. He motioned Daiki over to the love seat he was sitting in, and cuddled up against him once he flopped down onto it. "How _did_ you manage to move out without getting yelled at?" 

Seijuurou sighed. "Actually, I'm pretty sure I got kicked out." He waited for the stunned reactions, which came exactly when expected, then answered their unasked questions for them. "I kind of... walked out on my wedding day a few months ago." He still didn't like to think much about it, especially when it came to the brother--he had looked so proud to finally be seeing his little sister off. 

"Oh my god! Why did you do that?!" Taiga demanded, much louder than he should have for the space they were all in. "Were you gonna marry some shitty person? Or did you get cold feet or something?" Thought after thought ran through his mind, from the bride dying in the middle of the ceremony (very unlikely) to Seijuurou getting too nervous and walking out (a little less unlikely). 

Seijuurou rolled his eyes. "She wasn't a bad person, Taiga. Just... not someone I wanted to marry." 

"Then why the hell were you at a wedding if you didn't want to marry the woman?" Daiki asked. Honestly, he couldn't think of anything dumber than deciding to marry someone you didn't like. Then again, he didn't think of those things much. 

"It was arranged." Seijuurou explained carefully. Daiki nodded like he understood, but really, he knew Tetsuya would be explaining it again later than night anyway. "She was from an influential family in the Hokkaido prefecture, and it would have been good for my father's company to have that partnership with her family." And he had completely, selfishly ruined that. Not that he cared. 

Everything was quiet for a moment, then Tetsuya piped up, "So then, why _did_ you walk out if it was arranged?" He really wanted to ask how he managed to do it without getting strangled on the spot, but that would be a question for a later time. "I didn't think they let you do that." 

"They don't... usually." Seijuurou shrugged. "But her family was Catholic, so we had a traditional Catholic wedding as per her father's request, and interruptions are more commonplace." Not that they happened at every wedding, but it was more... acceptable to have someone interrupt if they didn't agree with the marriage. At the time--and even now--he was incredibly grateful for her father's pushing of the Western style wedding over the traditional Japanese. 

"Interruption?" Satsuki frowned a little bit. "Who interrupted the wedding?" 

"Shintarou, actually." Seijuurou smiled, and almost laughed at the shocked looks he got from all four of the other people in the living room. "I don't know how he caught wind of the wedding, or what possessed him to ruin what was supposed to be the perfect ceremony, but I'm glad he did." It saved his sanity, if nothing else. 

"Oh, does that mean you're living with him then?" Satsuki asked excitedly, her eyes shining as though she already knew the answer. When she got her satisfactory response, she beamed. "That's wonderful! I'm so happy for you, Sei-kun~!" Somehow, she knew they would end up getting back together eventually. Woman's intuition; it hadn't failed her yet. 

Taiga grinned and gently--or, as gently as an oaf like him could get--clapped the shorter redhead on the back. "It's been years since you two last saw each other, right? That's great for you guys." 

"You're acting as though we just got engaged." Seijuurou teased, despite the dusty blush rising on his cheeks. He couldn't help but feel at least a little elated at the excitement around him, especially from friends he hadn't contacted or seen in a while. It felt good to be around such happy people again, he would have to make a point to visit more often and keep in touch. 

Tetsuya smiled, almost knowingly, and checked the clock. "If he's going to do it, he better do it soon." Daiki nodded his agreement, and he laughed quietly. "It's been five years, I think that's long enough." 

"Tetsuya..." Seijuurou half whined. He glanced over to the clock and sighed. "I suppose I should get going, I don't want him trying to cook anything difficult and burning the apartment complex down." He pushed himself off the couch and stretched his arms out in front of him. "Thank you for the opportunity to catch up, Tetsuya. I'll come by again sometime soon." 

"Please do." Tetsuya smiled and stood as well to give his friend a hug. Then followed the rest of the company, including a much-too-tight bear hug from Taiga and something akin to a noogie from Daiki. "Be safe driving home, and don't call Midorima-kun while you're in the car." 

Seijuurou rolled his eyes. "Sure mom." He grinned as the cyan haired man shot him a glare, and waved to the other three. "I'll be careful. See you guys soon." With that, he left the house and started on his way home. 

He came into the apartment exactly on the hour to Carina sitting at the entrance waiting for him. He removed his shoes and bent down to pick her up. "Hello, Carina." She meowed and squirmed a little bit to get comfortable, then lay there in his arms purring contentedly. He smiled and looked around the room. "Shintarou, I'm home!" 

"I'm in the bedroom!" Came Shintarou's reply from down the hallway. At that, Carina decided she had had enough of being held and jumped down onto the floor. She gave Seijuurou an expectant look and padded over to the couch to take a nap. 

Seijuurou decided then he would go to the bedroom to find out what Shintarou was doing in there. He poked his head in the door, surprised the window was open and the curtains were flowing gently in the afternoon breeze. The balcony, which was usually at least a little bit dirty, was mostly spotless, and decorated with white Christmas lights. He raised a curtain and looked at the other man, standing by the bed. "What's all this about?" 

"I had to do some things, so I sent you out." Shintarou admitted. "It would have ruined the surprise if you had been home." 

"What surprise? Shintarou, what are you talking about?" Seijuurou questioned, taking a few steps into the room. The lights were off, but the sunlight filtering in was enough to give it a warm, ambient light. He would almost venture to say it was... romantic. Then again, perhaps it was just time to redecorate, because he noticed the furniture had moved around. 

Shintarou shook his head, an amused smile on his face. He reached into his pocket, skipping the whole getting down on one knee and completely embarrassing both of them, and pulled out a small black box tied with a white ribbon. He held it out for Seijuurou to take. "This surprise." 

It took only a moment for Seijuurou to finally realize what the meaning of everything was, and he quite nearly dropped the box when he did. With shaking hands, he slowly untied the ribbon and gently lifted the lid of the box. Inside sat a beautiful, simple engagement ring, bearing striking resemblance to the one his mother had given him. 

"So," Shintarou cleared his throat quietly, "will you marry me?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's so long orz I didn't want to cut anything or chop it up into two chapters ;A;


	6. Making it Official

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my goodness, the last chapter in two days! How crazy is that?!  
> I hope you've all been enjoying this little project of mine, because I really have.  
> I'm going to miss it when it's over haha

Seijuurou sat with his mouth open slightly for a while, just staring at the ring. So that was why Shintarou asked him to go visit with Tetsuya for the afternoon? He had remembered having to show him the rings in the boxes he brought from the house the day before, and getting sized on his ring finger. He had asked about it, but Shintarou wouldn't divulge any information. It was amazing he didn't notice before. 

When he finally returned to his senses, he turned his attention up to Shintarou, who was still waiting patiently for his answer. He could feel a smile beginning to creep onto his face despite himself and lowered the box a little bit. "Yes," he whispered, "if you will have me." 

"I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't willing." Shintarou smiled softly and took the box. He pulled the ring out and pocketed the box again, then lifted Seijuurou's hand and slipped the ring on. It fit perfectly, just as he had expected it to. He was pleased to see the ring looked good on the smaller man as well. Of course it did, it basically embodied everything the redhead was. Simple, fragile, and absolutely stunning. Expensive too, but that didn't matter. 

Seijuurou almost giggled like a little girl he was so giddy. Never in all his life had he imagined he would get to marry the man he loved more than anything, and yet here he was; engaged to said man. "You're too good to me." He moved forward and stood on his tiptoes to peck Shintarou on the lips, only to get pulled into a deeper, more passionate kiss. 

His eyes slowly closed, and he wrapped his arms around the taller man's neck as they melted together, their breathing getting heavier and lips sliding across each other. Unfortunately, the need for air pulled them apart, so they opted for resting their foreheads against each other. Their breathing still came in heavy pants, but as time went on they slowly evened out. 

"I'm surprised you didn't catch on to my idea yesterday." Shintarou chuckled as he set Seijuurou down. "You're usually so perceptive I can't surprise you at all." He learned that early on in their relationship. It didn't seem to matter what he did, the redhead would somehow catch on to the fact he was trying to surprise him with something nice. Apparently, he just had to make it painfully obvious and he wouldn't get it. 

Seijuurou blushed a little bit and shook his head. "I wasn't really thinking too much about it, I suppose. I _was_ curious as to why you were having me show you my mother's old rings, though." Not that he minded; he liked any excuse he could get to look at her jewelry. Now he had to wonder; just how much was the ring he was given? He didn't think he should ask, but it looked expensive. "And for the record, you could have just asked me what my ring size is." 

"Of course you would know." Shintarou rolled his eyes. He probably knew exactly what size each finger was, including his thumb. It wouldn't surprise him, honestly. "Well, it doesn't really matter now. I'm just glad the ring fits." 

Seijuurou nodded and smiled down at his hand. It was strange to be the one with the engagement ring, but it was beautiful. He didn't mind, anyway. "It fits wonderfully, you did a great job." He wasn't very surprised about that, though. Shintarou had always been good at picking out jewelry. He remembered the myriad of times he would get calls from Satsuki about how good he was at it, and how she would have to ask him to help her pick jewelry for her wedding day. Hotaru often sang praises about how good her big brother was at picking out ear rings and necklaces for her as well. "It's gorgeous, too. Did you get it custom made?" 

"I did." Shintarou nodded. "I work with a young woman whose father makes rings for a living, and she asked him if he would do it for me." It was much faster than going to one of the jewelers, that was for sure. More expensive, but definitely worth it. It was crafted carefully, and each of the jewels was genuine. Perhaps he would make the wedding bands, too, if they wanted him to. 

"Well, he did a wonderful job. It truly is beautiful." Seijuurou hummed, his voice softening. It was certainly a ring he could see himself treasuring for the rest of his life. The best part about it was that the ring was his. Which, he realized, meant soon he would be married, and to someone he could actually picture himself having a happy future with. He also realized, while thinking about the other thing, that it meant they would begin wedding plans soon. 

Shintarou nodded and put his arm around Seijuurou's shoulders to pull him close. "Now all we need to worry about is the plans for the wedding." It would be a formidable task for sure. If nothing else, it could take them a few weeks. Then again, he would be working with Seijuurou on it. They could be done within a matter of days. He wouldn't really mind that, if he was being honest with himself. He never did like planning ceremonies. 

"That's true." Seijuurou nodded. "I suppose the first question would be when we want the wedding to be." That, to him, was very important. Everything else depended on what season the ceremony would take place in. Currently, it was the turning point of Autumn to Winter, and it would start to get cold soon. He wasn't terribly keen on freezing out all their guests. 

Shintarou hummed quietly. "I think, if we could plan everything quickly, Spring would be a good time to do it." Most people enjoyed Spring, especially around the time the sakura blossoms were blooming. It made everything else much easier as well. "For now, though, it's getting late." He hadn't realized it, but the sun had gone down in the time they were talking. "We should go to sleep. Tomorrow can be all about telling everyone and getting plans set out." 

"Hmm, alright then." Seijuurou nodded and smiled as Carina padded into the room with a meow. She hopped up on the bed and purred as she rubbed against her owners. He yawned and leaned against Shintarou, closing his eyes. "Remind me to tell Tetsuya in the morning... He'll want to be one of the first people to know." He was pretty sure he would get his ass handed to him if he told someone else first. Well... unless that person was Shuuzou. Speaking of which, he would have to tell him and Chihiro soon as well. 

"That means you're going to have to get up and actually put your pajamas on, Seijuurou." Shintarou laughed and kissed his fiance's head. "Don't fall asleep in jeans, you'll be uncomfortable when you wake up. And you need to stop falling asleep on me before you even get ready for bed." It was a terrible habit. Cute, but terrible. Not that the rest of Seijuurou's habits were any good, either. 

"Ugh, fine..." Seijuurou groaned and pushed himself off the bed to put his pajamas on. Suddenly, he had become very tired, and he wondered how he ever managed to stay up past midnight in high school and college. Maybe his sleepiness came from living with someone who fell asleep at basically the same time every night. He didn't know, and really, he didn't care. As soon as he closed the window to the deck and pulled the curtains together, he climbed into bed and allowed Carina to follow him under the covers. 

Shintarou followed soon after, a bemused smile on his face at the sleepiness beginning to take over Seijuurou's. He pulled the redhead toward him and turned the light off, then sighed deeply. "Sleep well, Seijuurou." 

"You too..." Seijuurou mumbled as he slipped into a deep sleep. The next few months would be hectic and busy, considering all they had to do to get things ready for the wedding, but he had to say this was one event he was looking forward to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My "posting at the last minute" streak continues!  
> But this time I got the chapter out on time.  
> Ugh I missed a day.... I'll fill a spot later with the thing that was supposed to come out yesterday, I suppose. We'll see. 
> 
> Good news, though! Permanent Home comes off hiatus permanently (lmao) tomorrow!  
> Look forward to that! If you haven't read it, please do!


	7. The Perfect Wedding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The time has come: the ceremony that will change both of their lives forever. Now the question is--will it go as planned?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter! ;A;  
> I'm both excited and sad about it, since I've been loving this so much. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy the last chapter~

Shintarou sighed as he stared at himself in the large mirror and fixed his tie for what seemed like the twentieth time in the past ten minutes. To say he was nervous was an understatement. The plans had gone very well and seemed perfect--how could they not be? Seijuurou was working on it--but he couldn't help but feel extremely anxious about it all. 

The door opened, and he glanced at the figure in the door through the reflection in the mirror. "Is there something you need, Takao?" He fixed his hair and turned around to face the shorter man behind him. 

"Oh, just wanted to come see how you were doing!" Kazunari grinned and leaned against the wall. He had agreed to be Shintarou's best man at the wedding, and was probably more excited about the whole situation than any of the other guests--save Shintarou's little sister. "Hotaru was asking about you, and so was your mom." He rolled his eyes and laughed, remembering the teenager's and woman's worried questions. 

"Of course they were." Shintarou sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He was just happy his dad hasn't come in and started embarrassing him yet. He was probably helping Seijuurou with something or other at the moment, actually. He wouldn't put it past the man--he had always loved the redhead and loved pampering and doting on him even more. Shintarou could only imagine how excited he was about the wedding. "Tell them I'm fine." 

Kazunari nodded. "Can do. But before I do that..." He reached in his jacket pocket and pulled out the boutonniere Shintarou's mother had picked for him the day before. "Your mom wanted me to give this to you. She would've made you wear the pink one, but it looks better with the white of Sei-chan's suit, so you get the white one." 

"Thank you." Shintarou smiled and took the box from Kazunari. He hadn't expected to need to wear a boutonniere at his wedding, but his mother had insisted he did to make it look better... or something. He hadn't really been listening to her, she kept going in circles and saying the same things over and over again. Despite that, he didn't actually mind wearing it. It _did_ look good. "You better be off now." 

Kazunari laughed. "Yeah. See you soon, Shin-chan!" He clapped his friend on the shoulder and left the room to go talk to Hotaru. 

Once again, Shintarou turned to the mirror. He pinned the boutonniere on his lapel and straightened it until it looked perfect. He had to admit, his mother had done a superb job picking the flower. It was like she knew who was going to wear which color when she picked them out, crafty woman that she was. "...Well, I suppose I had better get going, then." He sighed, fixed his tie and collar, and left the room to head toward the altar. 

Meanwhile, down on the other end of the hallway, Tetsuya was fussing over Seijuurou's suit after Shintarou's father had fixed the boutonniere on. Since Masaomi was (obviously) not going to attend, he had offered to walk his friend down the aisle in his stead, and would act as the best man as well. "Are you sure you don't want to slick your hair back, Akashi-kun?" He asked as he stared at the redhead. 

"I'm sure, Tetsuya." Seijuurou nodded. "It takes an entire bottle of gel to keep my bangs back, and it feels gross. I think I look fine." He had spent a while brushing it all down to make it more manageable that morning, anyway. He didn't want more hassle. "The most you're going to get me to do with it is sweep my bangs back, and I've already done that." There was no way he was going to be convinced to go through that again. 

Tetsuya frowned, but let it go. "Well, I suppose it doesn't look awful like that." He would have preferred it gelled back even a little bit, but he had to admit Seijuurou did look good with it all brushed down and combed back nicely. "You haven't shown Midorima-kun the suit, have you?" He knew it was more of a Western thing to not show your bride or groom to be the dress or tuxedo you picked out, but since it was a Western style wedding, he figured that would be part of it. 

"No I haven't. He has no idea what it looks like beside the color." Seijuurou shook his head. The only reason he had shared the color was so they didn't get the same tux. He wouldn't have minded if they had, but he was sure someone would blow their top. He checked his watch after loosening his tie and straightening it slightly and sighed. Only a few minutes until the start of the ceremony. His heart was starting to hammer in his chest. "We should go to the doors." 

Tetsuya nodded, gave his companion a smile, and led the way out of the room. After hearing about the last wedding, he was almost nervous to see if there would be an interruption during this one. He just had to tell himself everything would go well, and they'd be at the reception at the end of the hour, celebrating the marriage. 

What neither of them had expected as they walked up to the grand doors of the chapel was to see the young woman Seijuurou was supposed to marry last year standing there. She had dressed up, but not too much, and offered a sweet smile as they approached. "I hope you don't mind," she started bashfully and twisted her hair in her finger, "but I wanted to come once I heard it was yours. I can leave if you want me to." 

"No," Seijuurou shook his head after he got over the initial shock, "please, do stay." He really hadn't expected to ever see the woman again, but she looked happy, so his mind--and heart--were put at ease. "I hope I didn't cause any trouble for you or your family last year." 

"Oh, everything's fine. My brother was angry at first, but when I explained it he understood completely, so he's not out to get you." She giggled and shook her head. "I think we're both much happier with the decision, anyway." She sighed a little bit and fixed her hair, then looked him over. "You look better when you dress and groom yourself, you know. That suit is very... you." 

"Thank you." Seijuurou smiled despite the blush threatening to rise to his cheeks. He cleared his throat and checked his watch, then sighed. "The ceremony is about to start, so you should slip in now if you're going to attend." 

The woman nodded and pulled the door open. Before she went to find a place to sit, she turned and offered a reassuring smile. "Good luck, Akashi-kun." With that, she disappeared into the chapel and into the small crowd gathered in the pews just before the church bells began to ring their wedding tune. 

Tetsuya, who had been watching the encounter quietly from beside the door, stepped forward and offered his arm with a small encouraging smile. "Well, let's get going. Don't want to leave your groom waiting for you at the altar, do we?" He chuckled quietly at the look he received, and as they waited for the doors to be pulled open by the ushers, gave a gentle squeeze to his friends arm. 

The first thing Seijuurou noticed about the ceremony was the priest. It was the very same man who had officiated his wedding a year ago, but somehow he looked happier. He didn't know if it was just his own emotions getting the better of him, but for some reason the chapel didn't feel as stuffy. The music was more full of life, and everyone looked brighter and happier. Maybe it was the change in people, not having all the business men and women dressed in their work suits definitely made a difference. 

Before he knew it, Tetsuya was giving him a little shove to push him closer to Shintarou, who had been staring in silent awe at his soon to be husband. Their eyes met, and nothing else seemed to matter. "You look great." He whispered softly, a bright smile dancing across his face. 

"So do you," Shintarou responded with an airy chuckle. "The white suits you." 

"Thank you," Seijuurou breathed. Suddenly, it was like all his nerves went away, and he knew everything would turn out alright. He didn't even check the door for interruptions, and barely noticed when the priest gave the final blessing until the rings were slipped on and he was picked up off his feet and pulled into what was quite possibly the most loving kiss he had ever received. 

The entire church erupted into applause and cheers as they parted and began back down the aisle. Most people excitedly exited their pews as soon as the newlyweds were past them, and Hotaru jogged to catch up to her brother and brother in law. 

As soon as they stopped, she tackled Shintarou into a hug. "That was perfect!" She exclaimed happily. "I knew mom picked the best boutonnieres!" She quickly fixed herself as soon as she let go of her brother and wiped away the tears in her eyes. "Now I can say I told you so, brother. I totally knew you were gonna marry Sei someday!" 

Shintarou rolled his eyes and ruffled her hair. "Yes, you did tell me so. Go find mom and dad." The fourteen year old pouted slightly, but nodded, and after giving Seijuurou a hug, ran off to find her parents somewhere in the crowd. He sighed a little bit and adjusted his glasses, then turned to Seijuurou and smiled. "Do you still think you made the right decision?" 

"Absolutely." Seijuurou nodded. "I'm very happy with the decision I made, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end!  
> Please tell me what you thought of it!  
> I know the spacing between the last chapter and this one was a little awkward, but I hope it worked out alright ;3;

**Author's Note:**

> Please tell me what you thing, and if I missed any spelling or grammar things.  
> Feedback is super appreciated!


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